Why Wall Art Is Essential for Creating a Beautiful Home
Adding new artwork can completely transform a living space. It can spark new interests, inspire fresh ideas, and even encourage new goals. Even something as simple as rearranging your existing paintings, prints, and photographs can breathe new life into a room, making your home feel refreshed and full of new possibilities.
Thoughtfully chosen and displayed artwork can bring cherished memories back to life, evoke a sense of well-being, and completely transform the atmosphere of a space.
Why Wall Art Is Essential
Abstract art, for instance, evokes moods in a non-literal, suggestive way; a large painting or print dominated by loose, expressionistic mark-making can give a home a romantic, free-spirited feel, while a more hard-edged, graphic style gives a space a modern, urban feel.
Acquiring and displaying wall art isn’t the preserve of homeowners, either; in fact, it’s a great way to make a rental home feel more personal, without having to redecorate. It’s this flexibility that makes wall art such a useful element of home décor – artworks can be arranged, then reconfigured to change the character of a room.
“A piece doesn’t have to be in one location forever,” says Katherine Kittoe, founder of Kittoe Contemporary. “A re-hang of artworks every few years can be hugely rewarding and refreshing.”
Small changes can also make a big impact. Lightweight pieces can be hung with thin nails and hooks, while art can also be leaned on ledges, mantelpieces or consoles for a casual look.
Artwork can be displayed alongside home decor that shares similar colors, patterns, or shapes, helping to create a cohesive and visually appealing look. A painting might pick up the bold colors of a rug or complement the soft curves of ceramic pieces.
Artwork can also be grouped with postcards, family photographs, and treasured collectibles to create interesting displays that add personality, depth, and visual interest to a space.
“Whether it’s travel posters, collages or flea-market finds, your collection should reflect what resonates with you,” says Cathy Glazer.
Integrating Wall Art with Furniture
Wall-hung art can also counterbalance the bulky, imposing look of furniture. “A striking painting can serve as a visual focal point paired with sofas and tables,” says Sophie Goldhill, co-founder of Liddicoat & Goldhill.
Art is also a chance to connect various design features, like contrasting materials or colours, to help preclude a disjointed feel in a room. If you select the piece carefully, it can help to tie the room’s design together by complementing or matching the tone in fabrics or wood.
Choosing Wall Art Themes
For those looking to create a calming interior, abstract works and coastal wall art can help introduce a relaxed and airy atmosphere into the home.
Food is also a major theme in the work of UK artist Selina Snow, whose joyful pieces depict delicacies from around the world. Snow has built up an eclectic collection of art and personal memorabilia that includes paintings, prints, textiles, and artifacts acquired on her travels.
“I like to link colours but not obviously,” says Snow. “I don’t want pieces to blend together so they lose their individual character, but so they enhance each other.”
Snow also pairs very different pieces that nevertheless share the same motifs. In her bedroom is a wooden headboard carved with flower shapes; above it is a painting of flowers.
Framing Artwork
For original artworks, Snow recommends investing in professional framing in order to preserve them well. London-based artist and curator Roberto Ekholm also recommends using UV-protective window film in brighter rooms and shade in direct sunlight.
Ekholm also points out that the sculpture should be found in the home. I like to set mine up on free-floating shelves at various heights and sizes at home, so that it’s sort of an interesting display,” he says about his collection arrangement.
Multiple paintings on display together can work well in maximalist interiors and can create a cozy atmosphere. Similarly, a well-chosen large framed art could instantly make a statement in an interior environment.
Katherine Kittoe suggests that people starting an art collection check out exhibitions, art fairs, and art in open studios to see what speaks to them. She also recommends the “try before you buy” program at galleries, where homeowners can view the artworks before making a purchase.
In the end, choosing art is deeply personal. As Cathy Glazer puts it: “Choosing art can feel intimidating, but it’s not about right or wrong; it’s about what speaks to you.”
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I also use Artificial Intelligence Image generators to create some of my images. These are to show you examples of my ideas and inspiration when I cannot produce the real images myself.
